During the coming weeks and months, it will be critical to keep your Google My Business listing up to date.

States, counties, cities, and other jurisdictions will one day (soon we hope) start their journeys to a post-COVID-19 era. Small business owners need to let customers know constantly changing business updates, requirements, and how to access your products, services, food, and other offerings that make your business special. One of the things we will be doing over the next few days is reviewing our links to the guide we have compiled over the past few years: The SmallBusiness.com Guide to Google My Business.

To begin the process, Google is linking several Google services that feeds a small business’ information to Google My Business and an array of constantly updated maps.

If your business is operating on reduced or shifted hours, you can update them on you Business Profile through Google My Business. Do this so that customers know exactly when you are able to reach them.

Since every business’s response to coronavirus is unique, Google has introduced COVID-19 posts – featured prominently in a carousel on the merchant’s Business Profile in Search (and coming soon to Maps). This is how businesses can communicate to your customers about how your operations and services have shifted. Updates can include safety precautions you are taking, information about what products and services are available, and whether your customers can expect delays.

Many restaurants and retail shops have closed their doors to on-site customers but are still serving them in other ways, for example: Merchants in the dining and shopping verticals can now update their business profiles to inform customers about service availability.

With various or changing shortages of groceries and home essentials, people have to make important decisions about when to leave home to purchase critical goods.

Pointy (now part of Google), helps merchants get their inventory online by connecting information from the merchant’s point of sale systems to their business profile online. (For a limited time, Pointy is available for free to select grocery stores, pharmacies and convenience stores in the US.)